b'F I N D I N G Y O U R N I C H ENEWBORNCARESPECIALISTSChevelle FrederickAnyone who knows me knows that caring for babies is my passion, and being an Elite Newborn Care Specialist was a calling that I knew I wasmeant to fulfill.Each family that I am privileged to work with is unique, and each night can bring a different set of trials. For me, the rewards ofeducating, supporting, and helping new families greatly outweighs any challenges. While You Are ThereBefore You Leave For Work When I arrive to work, I usually knock on the door and enter About an hour-and-a-half before my shift, I like to gather allthehomeasquietlyaspossible,unlessinstructedtodo of the things that I will be taking with me to a familys home.otherwise. I immediately take off my shoes as to not track I keep a work bag packed which includes my computer, aoutside dirt into the home. As I greet my clients and ask how change of clothes, my red flashlight, my phone charger, atheirdaywent.Iwashbottlesandpumpparts.Usually reference book or two, my purse, and usually a snack. I willclients will communicate with me how the babys day went take a shower and put on fresh work clothes because I feeland what challenges or triumphs they experienced. During that its really important to be as clean as possible beforethis time, I can often gain valuable insight as the parents enteringaclientshomeandhandlingtheirbaby.Mydisposition tells me a lot about how things have gone since personal work uniform is a scrub top, matching yoga pants,we last connected. I also find that this time is useful for warmsocks,andalightweightsweater.Ilikescrubtopsaddressing any issues or questions that parents may have because they have lots of pockets for things like bottles,regarding naps, feeding, logistics, and more. This time also baby monitor, flashlight, and more. I like yoga pants becauseprovides me with an opportunity to praise the parents for they are comfortable and warm, and they dont ride up mywhat is working well and to offer them some much needed legs while I am resting. I like a sweater as an added layer inencouragement. During this time I also share my strategy for case I get cold.If the assignment is across town, I also likethenightwiththeparents.Dependingonwhenmyshift to check my GPS to know what traffic is like so that I canbegins,theclientsmayeithergotobedormaybejust plan my commute accordingly. sitting down for dinner. If there is baby laundry to be folded,I will take it into the nursery, and after the baby is down forthe night, I will usually find a way to put things away quietly What You Do Afterand in the dark. From there, I attend to the baby throughout I set my alarm to go off twenty to thirty minutes before thethenightforfeedingsanddiaperchanges,including end of my shift to allow me time tostraighten up, clean anydocumentingthenightsprogress.Iftheclientis usedbottlesorpumpparts,andbriefmyclientsonthebreastfeeding, I will awaken her to feed the baby. If sleep babys progress throughout the night. Before I leave, I alsoconditioning is involved and the baby is showing signs of provide any instructions or guidance for the upcoming day.readiness, I can slowly and gently extend the babys sleeping Once I am home, I may take a nap if I am tired or work ontimes to promote longer stretches of sleep. By the end of a securing my next assignment. typical12-weekcontract,Icangenerallyhaveababysleeping 10-12 hours per night.Being a Newborn Care Specialist is definitely a unique career path. It requires patience, sacrifice, and extreme compassion. As an Elite NewbornCare Specialist, I have the unique opportunity to help parents navigate life with a newborn, and I love being there to guide and support them ontheir journey.As challenging as it may sometimes be, I wouldnt swap my career for the world.12Spring 2020|NannyMag.com'